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Rabat – Morocco and the European Union (EU) signed on Tuesday an administrative arrangement on cooperation in marine research and innovation.
The agreement will give new impetus to cooperation between Morocco and the EU in the fields of higher education, scientific research, technologies, and marine innovation.
The arrangement also seeks to better network scientific activities between Moroccan research facilities and research institutions in EU countries that border the Atlantic to capitalize on the opportunities that transatlantic cooperation offers.
Morocco’s Minister Delegate in charge of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Driss Ouaouicha signed the agreement along with the European Commissioner in charge of Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, Mariya Gabriel in a virtual ceremony.
Ouaouicha said that the EU and Morocco’s ambition is to reinforce the capacities of Moroccan students and researchers in priority through the administrative arrangement and cooperation with the EU, especially in terms of scientific research.
“Our desire to encourage joint research, in particular in the fields of climate change, biodiversity and food security,” Ouaouicha said.
He said the EU and Morocco commit to promote the role of Morocco and its universities as poles of “regional excellence in areas related to higher education and scientific research.”
Gabriel also expressed satisfaction with the agreement, emphasizing Morocco’s geostrategic importance.
She said that Morocco bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea makes it an important partner in ocean science.
The EU official also emphasized the need for cooperation and partnership with Morocco to reinforce understanding of marine ecosystems and the link between the Atlantic Ocean and climate change.
The European Commissioner said that the Morocco-EU administrative arrangement will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the EU and Morocco within the framework of the Alliance for Atlantic Ocean Research.
The European Commission adopted an Atlantic maritime strategy in 2011, seeking to respond to the demands of several actors and to establish “ambitious and efficient cooperation in the Atlantic region.”
